Tag: Brian W. Smith

To be a successful published author you don’t have to do what everyone is doing. Of course there are experts out there that say you must do it exactly this way in order to replicate my success. The question is as an author did you go into publishing to be successful like them or a successful version of yourself?

Embrace what makes you different as an author.

Own it.

Do it intentionally.

It might make a few people upset, but if there was only one way to do right, if there was only one way to tell a story and make it successful we probably wouldn’t have the Gospel according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Each author owns there style–Matthew is an author of precision, Mark is the king of brevity, Luke though he is a trained physician is an expert in writing informally, he writes like he’s just telling a story to his homeboy, John is poetic with his parallelisms.

There are many ways to own your space within your genre:

1. Your book covers. Three authors I can think of you use their book covers to stand out from the rest of the authors in your genre are:

Adrienne Thompson, a romance author whose book covers are typically artistic, handdrawn reflections of the story or characters.

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E.N. Joy, writes Christian Fiction and her book covers are as distinct and dramatic as the stories she crafts.

Click for more info about this authorUnoma Nwankwor writes Christian Romance. Her covers always depict a unadapted hero and a beautiful heroine that could easily be you or me.

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2. Stand out with style. Like the writers of the gospel make some intentional stylistical choices that set you apart from the pact. You can write heavily episodic pieces, great conversational pieces, be the sultan of sultry, or the queen of sass. Do something that will help the readers recognize your voice. What’s your writing super power?

I deliver grit, realism of the city streets, and our urban architecture, which sets me apart from a lot of other Christian Fiction authors whose books are primarily set in southern cities or don’t give their setting a large role in the story.

3. Don’t just be one dimensional. Create interactive social media profile across platforms incorporating some of your other strengths. If you’re very visual use Pinterest to build worlds connected to your novels or poetry. Use YouTube to vlog–you can review, rant, or express your ideas verbally, go LIVE and give your people a chance to interact with you and your content in real time. Or take your readers on shopping trips with you via Instagram or Snapchat stories like I do (don’t forget to follow me on IG). If you need help using Instagram to promote your book and build your brand click HERE to download 5 Free Tips for promoting your book and building your brand using Instagram.

So, what is it that makes you distinct from other authors within your genre. What can or what do you offer readers that sets you apart from the pack?